Whole, Skimmed or Toned Milk, which one is for you?

You see different types of milk at grocery stores or with your neighbourhood milk vendor but do you know what differentiates one from the other? We have got the lowdown on the different types of milk right here!

Full cream milk/ Whole milk As the name suggests, full cream milk or whole milk is it pretty much milk in the form it comes from the cows, without anything being added or taken out of it. It has all of it’s fat content intact. Full cream milk has about 3.5 percent fat by weight. However, it is creamier and thicker in comparison to other varieties.

Calories: Approximately 150 calories in 250 ml.Who should have it: Children between the ages of one and two as they need the fat in whole milk for proper development. Also, if you’re looking to bulk up this is what should be going in your protein shakes!

Skimmed milk Skimmed milk is full cream milk minus the fat. It contains about 0.1 to 0.3 percent fat by weight. It is higher in protein, carbohydrates and calcium by volume than full cream milk. However, removing fat to get skimmed milk also gets rid of fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Skimmed milk has a slightly watery appearance and is not creamy like full cream milk.

Calories: Approximately 83 calories in 250 ml.Who should have it: Children aged 2 years and above. Teenagers and adults can also go for this variety. It is a good way to keep your calorie intake in check.

Toned and Double Toned milk Toned milk is made by adding skimmed milk powder and water to whole milk. It is a technique of reducing the fat content by volume, while maintaining the nutritive value of whole milk. It also increases the overall quantity of milk available. Toned milk has about 3 percent fat by weight. Double toned milk is similar to toned milk but the fat content is reduced to 1.5 percent by weight. Toned and double toned are also not as thick and creamy as full cream/ whole milk. Calories: Approximately 138 calories in 250 ml of toned milk and approx. 115 calories in 250 ml of double toned milk.Who should have it: Same as skimmed milk, children aged 2 years and above, teenagers and adults can also go for this variety. This too is a good way to keep your calorie intake in check.

So next time you’re brewing up a cup of coffee you can now make an informed decision about what milk to use!